THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF 28 MARCH 1972

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: President's Daily Brief 1969-1977
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005993215
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: T
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: August 14, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2016
• Publication Date: March 28, 1972

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The President's Daily Brief
28 March 1972
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THE PRESIDENT'S DAILY BRIEF
28 March 1972
PRINCIPAL DEVELOPMENTS
Brezhnev's recent overture for ties to the Common
Market was serious, but many Market members are
being cautious about responding. (Page 1)
A Soviet survey of North Vietnam's air defenses may
lead to deliveries of additional aid from Moscow.
(Page 2)
Warsaw Pact
The political situation
Page 4.
/Romania",
(Page 3)
in /Cambodia
is discussed on
\ South Korea/
/Chinese 1 (Page 5)
Annex Soviet-Egyptian
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USSR - COMMON MARKET
Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko has confirmed
that Brezhnev's overture for relations between the
Soviet-led Council of Mutual Economic Assistance
and the Common Market during a speech on 20 March
was a deliberate departure from past policy.
the timing of Brezhnev's announcement was
partly determined by a wish to strengthen Chancel-
lor Brandt's hand in the debate over ratification
of the Moscow and Warsaw treaties.
There are other good reasons for Brezhnev's
vague signal, however. Not the least of
these is the probability that beginning
next year the East Europeans will be told
that they must negotiate their trade agree-
ments through the market rather than bi-
laterally. Yet another reason is the So-
viet desire to maintain control over East
Euro e.
While accepting Brezhnev's speech as a turning
point, officials of the Common Market have reacted
cautiously. They are concerned that Brezhnev's
formula implies a demand for market recognition of
Moscow's Council on Mutual Economic Assistance. A
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USSR - NORTH VIETNAM
Soviet Deputy Defense Minister Batitskiy visited
North Vietnam from 17 to 27 March to inspect all
facets of Hanoi's air defenses and most likely to
discuss future Soviet assistance. Batitskiy was ac-
companied by several air defense specialists.
Last year, Hanoi made significant improve-
ments in its air defense network and re-
cieved equipment for ten new SA-2 battal-
ions from the USSR. This equipment, the
largest Soviet increment to North Vietnam's
air defense forces since 1967, accounted
for $45 million of the estimated $100
million in military aid, which Moscow
provided Hanoi last year.
The Soviets see an opportunity for them-
selves in North Vietnam's current discom-
fort about Chinese dealings with the US,
and we believe that Batitskiy was in-
structed to be receptive to Hanoi's re-
quests for additional air defense equip-
ment. The resumption of more aggressive
aerial patrolling and the rehabilitation
of North Vietnam's forward airbases in
recent months also suggests that Hanoi
may have asked for Soviet aid in devel-
oping better command and control proce-
dures, embodying more sophisticated tac-
tics than have been possible up to now.
The North Vietnamese may have gotten what
they wanted; on the Last day of Batitskiy 's
stay they lavished public praise on the
work of his delegation.
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ROMANIA - WARSAW PACT
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CAMBODIA
President Lon Nol has promoted Sink Matak to
full general and presuaded him to become "chief
delegate" of the armed forces and chairman of the
armed forces chiefs of staff(
Although Matak has accepted, he is still
smarting over Lon Nol's failure to sup-
port him more strongly in the face of
student attacks on his performance in the
preceding government. Furthermore, Matak's
actual duties in the labyrinthine adminis-
tration of the present government have ap-
parently not yet been precisely defined,
and he may have difficulty in re-estab-
lishing a strong role for himself. In
any event, his reappearance in the govern-
ment will not sit well with student agita-
tors in Phnom Penh,
Lon Nol has, however, made some other moves
try to dampen the three-week old student unrest.
Some government-sponsored counter-demonstrations
have been organized. More important, Lon Nol has
publicly announced
to
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that a new constitution would be 25X1
promulgated "in two weeks."
We expect that Lon Nol will see to it
that the constitution places the real
power of government in the hands of the
president.
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SOUTH KOREA - CHINA
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CAMBODIA
Prakham
hhlong
PHNOM PEN
Prey Veng
Neak Luona-\.-
Takeo
RI Ph
Front
SAIGO
VINH RA CH GIA
552729 3-72 CIA
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NOTE
South Vietnam - Cambodia: Radio direction find-
ing indicates that since 20 March the headquarters
of the enemy's division-size Phuoc Long Front and
the. headquarters of its two combat regiments have
moved to within a few miles of the Cambodian - South
Vietnameseborder in the Mekong delta region. The
frOnt has not sent its units this far south since
June 1970. South Vietnamese positions on the Cam-
bodian side of the border have come under artillery
fire during the past severaldays, possibly from
some of the recently arrived enemy units.
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STRAINS IN SOVIET-EGYPTIAN RELATIONS
Al
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Top Secret
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